FOREIGN POLICY: New, Strong and Clear Outreach

[F-14B]

In other development


........

 

[F-14B]

In other development


........

In breaking news fire and brimstone was ejecting out of GHQ Rawalpindi

 

[indiatester]

Nice.
I liked the fact that Yogi did not greet Justin Trudeau for his Agra visit. If Justin can skip meeting CM of Punjab, surely CM of UP can skip meeting Justin.

 

[sorcerer]

Jordan's King Abdullah II to visit India this week

New Delhi [India], Feb 26 (ANI): Jordan's King Abdullah II will be delivering a special address on "Islamic Heritage & promoting understanding" at Vigyan Bhawan during his visit to India.

King Abdullah II, who will be visiting India for the second time from February 27 to March 1, will lead a large business delegation.

He will also hold a meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

India is Jordan's fourth largest trade partner after Iraq, Saudi Arabia and China.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Jordan, invited the King to make a state visit to India in late February for three days.

India and Jordan enjoy friendly ties since diplomatic relations were established in 1950. (ANI)
https://www.aninews.in/news/world/a...i-to-visit-india-this-week201802261421150002/

 

[sorcerer]

Saudi gives Air India overflight rights for its Israel routes: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday (Mar 5) that Saudi Arabia had granted Air India permission to fly over its territory on its new routes to and from Tel Aviv.

There was no immediate confirmation from either Saudi officials or Air India. Netanyahu made the announcement during a briefing in Washington to Israeli reporters after he had met U.S. President Donald Trump.

Saudi Arabia does not recognise Israel and lifting the 70-year-old airspace ban would reflect what appears to be thawing ties between Israel and the kingdom, both U.S. allies with a shared concern over Iranian influence in the region.

Last month, Air India announced the planned thrice-weekly flights to Tel Aviv over Saudi soil, but the General Authority of Civil Aviation in Riyadh said at the time it had not granted such permission to the carrier.

El Al Israel Airlines, the country's flag carrier, flies four weekly flights to Mumbai. These take seven hours as they fly south toward Ethiopia and then east to India, avoiding Saudi airspace. Israel media have said that Saudi overflight routes could reduce travel time by more than two hours.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...rflight-rights-for-its-israel-routes-10016594

 

[HariPrasad-1]

Justin Trudeau grilled very badly in Canadian parliament. Their member called his visit a cite seeing visit. They blamed him for not cooperating with Indians and them float a fake conspiracy theory to hide his failure. They asked Trudeau to apologize India.

 

[sorcerer]

Justin Trudeau grilled very badly in Canadian parliament. Their member called his visit a cite seeing visit. They blamed him for not cooperating with Indians and them float a fake conspiracy theory to hide his failure. They asked Trudeau to apologize India.

We got Justin Beaver and Justin Trudeau...
Something really wrong the first name Justin and from Canada

 

[indus]

Now this is what i call a reply. So many cuss words used in one statement. Terrorism, Baloch, Khyber, Ahmadiya. Hahaha

 

[aghamarshana]

Now this is what i call a reply. So many cuss words used in one statement. Terrorism, Baloch, Khyber, Ahmadiya. Hahaha

So,we unofficially expressed our moral support 2 Pashtun Long March after Balochistan....:bounce:
Observe the different font used for 'Khyber Pakhtunkwa' in the document...We cooking something delicious in our grand old N.W.F.P?

 

[sorcerer]

India calls for cross-border container train service

India has requested Bangladesh to take measures to introduce container train services between the two neighbours by this month in order to boost cross-border trade.

At a commerce ministry level meeting in Dhaka last month, India said a trial run of the containerised freight train through Petrapole-Benapole, Darshana-Gede or any other rail link is expected to be made by March.

A railway ministry official has confirmed the development. He said the train carrying containers would travel up to the west of the Bangabandhu bridge.

Following the test run, a formal protocol for the containerised movement will be developed, according to the minutes of the meeting.

India also wanted Bangladesh to extend cooperation to facilitate the trial runs and an early finalisation of the protocol. The host side agreed to convey the matter to the relevant authorities.


Commerce Secretary Shubhashish Bose led the Bangladesh side while his Indian counterpart Rita Teaotia was the leader of the Indian delegation.

In another development, Hero Group of India has set up a manufacturing facility in Jessore, as part of a joint venture with Nitol-Niloy Group of Bangladesh, according to the minutes.

The joint venture has sought exemption of 15 percent VAT from the National Board of Revenue.

To avail the exemption, the NBR has informed that the manufacturing unit should buy materials, including raw materials and other products, from Bangladesh.

Dhaka raised the issue of India's imposition of anti-dumping duty on jute goods and some other products exported from Bangladesh. It requested India to review the duty for jute products.

The Indian side said anti-dumping investigations are carried out by the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping through quasi-judicial proceedings and, there is little scope for the government to intervene in the process.

However, India said a review, if applied by Bangladesh, would be examined as per the law. New Delhi's demonetisation move has left an impact on over 5 million Indian rupees being held by Bangladesh, according to the minutes.

Sonali Bank is holding 534,500 Indian rupees in 500 and 1,000-rupee banknotes thanks to some legal transactions at border haats. In addition, Bangladesh Bank is holding about 500 million Indian rupees seized by customs authorities at border posts and airports. The Reserve Bank of India said the current law does not allow foreign nationals or institutions to exchange or deposit specified bank notes or the demonetised currency.

Dhaka said Bangladeshi businesses are interested to export Bangladesh-originated cargoes from Indian airports, such as Kolkata or any other Indian gateway airports, using their unused cargo space, as airports in Bangladesh sometimes find it difficult to provide the service because of a lack of cargo space.

The Indian side said even though the use of airways is not specifically stated in the India Bangladesh Trade Agreement, it would examine the proposal upon the reception of a proposal from Bangladesh.

The visiting side sought cooperation from Dhaka for early implementation of the Bangladesh Bhutan India and Nepal Motor Vehicle Agreement

http://www.thedailystar.net/business/india-calls-cross-border-container-train-service-1548997

 

[indus]

India has reportedly denied visas to 500 Paki pilgrims wanting to visit Ajmer Sharif in response to CFV in Balakote in which 5 civillians were killed/ injured.

 

[indus]

Why we could not save them...???

 

[binayak95]

Why we could not save them...???

They were killed long back. Probably within two weeks of their kidnapping by ISIS. The real question is now what? What will be our response to the murder of 39 of our citizens?

 

[binayak95]

39 Indians abducted by Islamic State are dead: Here’s what Sushma Swaraj told Parliament

Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in a statement in Parliament said all 39 Indians, who were kidnapped by ISIS in Iraq’s Mosul in June 2015, were killed and their bodies have been recovered.

Providing a timeline of the events, Sushma said, “As many as 40 Indians along with some Bangladeshis were abducted by the terrorist organisation ISIS three years back. But one of them escaped by posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh and the remaining 39 Indians were taken to Badoosh and killed later.”

Swaraj said, “The last discussion on the matter was held on July 27, 2017 when I had said that I will not declare them dead till I get any concrete proof. It will be a great irresponsibility and a sin on the part of our government. But, the day I will get a strong proof, I will request the chairman to stop the Parliament proceedings and give the information about it. And if no proceedings will be going on, I will inform the people of India within 10 minutes.”

She said, “I have two information. First, Harjit Masih who escaped was lying and second, the Indians were killed. And I have proofs for these.” Masih is a from Gurdaspur in Punjab who was arrested in March this year on charges of forgery connected to an illegal immigration racket.

The External Affairs Minister further said, “When General VK singh went to Iraq to find them, I asked him to meet company’s owner in Mosul where the Indians were working. He started his journey from Mosul. The owner told Singh that 40 Indians and some Bangladeshis were working in his company. When ISIS started capturing Mosul, he asked all the people who was working there to leave. Iraqi residents left first, others left, but the Indians and the Bangladeshis did not leave.”

The owner then called his caterer, who said that one day when they were coming to have food at his place, the ISIS people saw them and asked, “Who are you?”

They said that we are Indians and Bangladeshis. Then they said that these people will not stay here from now, and asked the caterer to take them to a textile factory. After reaching there, they separated Indians and Bangladesis. After some days, they took the Bangladesis to Erbil, capital of Kurdistan. The caterer said they gave these responsibilities to him.

“The caterer told Singh that he got ready to take them to Erbil in his own van.” Sushma said, “Harjit knows what he did that night. And I am guessing they asked the caterer to give Masih a muslim name and free him along with the Bangladeshis. The owner said that once he got a call from a man called Ali who said he is the one who is supposed to leave with the Bangladeshis.”

The EAM said, “Harjit called me from Erbil and asked me to save him. I first asked that how did he reach there. He was talking in Punjabi. He said he doesn’t know anything about that and just said Aunty ji please save me.”

“He later made a story saying we were taken to a jungle where ISIS terrorists fired. The bullet shot his leg. But somehow he managed to leave and the others got killed. Hence, Masih’s story was wrong. He had left in the beginning only by becoming Ali,” she said.

She further added, “Now the next day when the ISIS counted the heads, they found out that only 39 Indians were there. So they thought this is not the proper place to keep them now. Then the ISIS took them to Badush.”

“The company’s owner said he doesn’t know anything about what happened after that. There is a prison in Badush. Whether they kept the Indians there or killed them at the same time, I have no idea about that.”

But the, General VK singh, our ambassador Pradeep Rajput and an officer from the Iraq government together left for Badush. “When last time I raised this issue in the Parliament, Iraq’s foreign minister was here and I asked him that when VK singh goes there, I want a person from the Iraq government to be with him, so that he doen’t find any difficulty in finding those Indians. And he had assured me for that,” she said.

Search operations led to a mound in Badoosh where locals said some bodies were buried by the ISIS. Deep penetration radars were used to establish that the mound indeed was a mass grave, she said, adding the Indian authorities requested their Iraqi counterpart to exhume the bodies.

Swaraj said the mass grave had exactly 39 bodies, with distinctive features like long hair, non-Iraqi shoes and IDs. The bodies were then sent to Baghdad for DNA testing. For verification of bodies DNA samples of relatives were sent there, four state governments, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar were involved

DNA testing by Martyrs Foundation has established identity of 38 Indians while there has been 70 per cent matching of the DNA for the 39th person, she said.

Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh will be flying to Iraq to bring back the bodies on a special flight.


http://indianexpress.com/article/in...mic-state-were-killed-full-statement-5104183/

 

[sorcerer]

India-French joint naval exercise 'Varuna-18' begins off Goa coast, to include anti-submarine and air defence exercises

Panaji: The India-French joint naval exercise, "Varuna-18", commenced on Monday in the Arabian Sea off the Goa coast and will include anti-submarine, air defence and asymmetric engagement exercises, a navy official said.

The French Navy's anti-submarine frigate, Jean de Vienne, the Indian Navy's destroyer, INS Mumbai, and frigate INS Trikand are among the vessels participating in the exercise.


The Indian Navy's submarine, Kalvari, P8-1 and Dornier maritime patrol aircraft and MiG 29K fighter aircraft are also participating in the exercise.

The first phase of the exercise, which commenced on Monday, will conclude on 24 March, a defence official said.

The second phase will be held off the Chennai coast in April and the third near the La Reunion Island in May.

India and France will explore the measures to facilitate operational-level interactions between their respective armed forces and increase mutual cooperation, considering the common global threats, the official added.

Rear Admiral MA Hampiholi, Flag Officer Commander, Western Fleet of the Indian Navy, said "Varuna-18" would be conducted in three sea areas, including the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and South Western Indian Ocean.

The first phase would see the participation of French submarine and frigate Jean de Vienne, he added.

"It is noteworthy that the progress of the 'Varuna' series of naval exercises has found a mention in the joint statement of the Prime Minister of India and President of France on March 10 this year," he said.

Real Admiral Didier Piaton, who is heading the French side for the exercise, said India was a major partner of France in the Indian Ocean region.

"Maritime cooperation between India and France will be crucial in order to maintain the safety of international sea lanes for unimpeded commerce and communications in accordance with the international law, for countering maritime terrorism and piracy and building maritime domain awareness.

"Maritime security is a priority in our defence and security policy, along with the fight against terrorism," he added.

The Indian Navy and the French Navy have been conducting naval exercises since 1983. These exercises were christened as "Varuna" in 2001. The last edition of the exercise was conducted off the French coast in April last year.

The "Varuna" series of exercises has grown in scope and complexity over the years and provided an opportunity to the naval forces of both countries to increase interoperability and learn from each other's best practices, the official said.

http://www.firstpost.com/india/indi...marine-and-air-defence-exercises-4396703.html

 

[sorcerer]

Soon, India defence attaché at US navy Bahrain command

India will have a military attaché in the US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) in Bahrain, defence ministry officials said on condition of anonymity, highlighting what they term a “path-breaking” development that signals deeper defence cooperation between the two countries.

The officials added that the Pentagon has also agreed to have an Indian military representative at the Defence Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx), a US government unit that funds private companies working on cutting-edge defence technologies.

According to the officials, the decisions were finalised during defence secretary Sanjay Mitra’s visit last week to the Pentagon, during which India and the US also decided to jointly participate in tri-service amphibious exercises off the Indian coast (including in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands) as well as increasing the scope of trilateral naval exercises with the Japanese Navy in the Indo-Pacific. The decision to include the Australian Navy to make it a quadrilateral exercise is still a work in progress.

The bilateral decision to post an Indian defence attaché at the Bahrain Command has huge ramifications as NAVCENT’s area of responsibility includes the Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, and Arabian Sea. Comprising the Fifth Fleet and other forces, this Command is in charge of naval operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the oil-rich Gulf countries. It is also the lead player in anti-piracy and counter-terrorist operations conducted by the Combined Task Force 150 and 158.

Defence ministry officials said the Indian attaché in Bahrain will ensure that the US and Indian navies are on the same page. New Delhi’s perception of the Indo-Pacific is the area from the Gulf of Aden to the west coast of America. The Indian attaché will ensure better coordination and logistic support for warships and aircraft carriers of the two countries.

The officials said that the idea of posting a representative in the DIUx is to gain first-hand experience on how the Pentagon and the private sector work together for national security. This unit identifies and invests in companies, including start-ups that fulfil US Department of Defense hardware or software requirements. The Indian representative will be able to identify solutions for the Indian military and explore which ones could work under the “Make in India” rubric.

As a sign of increasing naval cooperation, the two countries are all for raising the complexity of the exercises, fostering joint training and validating standard operating procedures for amphibious operations. On December 21, the Indian Navy conducted a tri-services exercise off the coast of Kakinada in the Eastern Naval Command with landing ships from Andaman Nicobar Command participating in the manoeuvres. With South Block taking administrative steps towards integrated theatre commands, the Andamans Command will soon become the hub of Indian Navy’s might in the Indian Ocean in order to ensure that sea lanes of communications are not obstructed and freedom of navigation is unhampered by any third aggressive power.

Interestingly, in US Navy’s definition, India comes under Hawaii-based Pacific Command. Delhi, for the past two decades, has pushed for a liaison with NAVCENT because the latter is responsible for the Arabian Sea.


https://www.hindustantimes.com/indi...ain-command/story-iTGPB5sLbOlod11MlprWjI.html

 

[sorcerer]

View: India is fast mastering the technique that China expertly uses to show its power

Summits have been a display of power projection for centuries, from a pre-war Europe to the Cold War days to an era of non-alignment and now in the time of globalisation. WhileChinamade power projection through summits appear an easy affair,India is fast catching up in what is reminiscent of the period when the country held Commonwealth and NAM summits under Indira Gandhi.

Three decades later, buoyed by its economic growth and rising ambitions to become a global economic powerhouse, India has put summits at the forefront of power projection that, unlike China, is benign.

The 2015 mega India-Africa Forum Summit, for example, was on a scale that New Delhi did not witness since the NAM Summit. This was followed by the Brics Summit-Bimstec outreach in Goa in 2016, the Indo-Asean summit in New Delhi this year that left a deep imprint since the 2012 dialogue, the International Solar Alliance summit, and now the WTO mini-ministerial that has reaffirmed commitment to preserving a ruled-based multilateral trading system. In all these, India subtly showcased itself as the other power from Asia and the voice of the developing world, without dictating terms.

The third edition of the India-Africa summit stood out. The presence of more than 40 heads of State and governments showed that Delhi could accommodate a huge gathering despite its mediocre infrastructure. Impressed by the special outreach efforts made to leaders especially in Africa, some of them were back again for the International Solar Alliance summit.

The Indo-Africa summit of 2015, however, brought to fore the need for a world-class convention centre in the national capital and top-class hotels, besides the existing ones. After all, power projection is also about symbolismthat China has successfully showcased over the last two decades. There is plenty to learn from other G20 countries when it comes to hosting summits.

This is one of the reasons for the Modi government to concentrate from Day One on improving physical infrastructure. Yet, the pace has to be expedited as India’s global profile rises. Cities in China received facelift as Beijing decided to host global summits.


Taking a page from China’s book, hosting Brics summit along with Bimstec outreach in Goa was a prudent attempt to give smaller states a taste of geopolitics. The meet brought together two top global leaders, besides regional leaders. However, this exercise should not stop at Goa or Hyderabad, which hosted the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, and the effort should be to continue taking the foreign policy discourse beyond the national capital.

Track 1.5 and Track 2 Dialogues are now common in other metros. We also need to build world-class infrastructure and facilities in the northeast for India’s Act East policy.

Three years from now, India is expected to host the G20 summit. It will be a challenge of sorts for the government of the day to not only create a narrative for the summit but also present the country as a vibrant economic power. So, the focus should be on more reforms to revive growth, even as the country goes into election mode.

Nevertheless, India has been and should guard against power projection on the lines of China that has cared little for international law and rules of which, ironically, it has been the biggest beneficiary. New Delhi’s goodwill lies in the fact that it is not pursuing an expansionist and aggressive foreign policy agenda but a balanced approach where it equally engages with US and Russia, Israel and Palestine, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Power projection should be pursued with an eye to create and strengthen rules-based international order and norms.
Read more at:
//economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/63404166.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

 

[indus]

What is Track 1.5 mentioned above ???

 

[mayfair]

What is Track 1.5 mentioned above ???

Track II is usually referred to talks where some "folks" from one country host a meeting/conference for "like-mined" folks from the other side. An example would be Indian "intellectuals" travelling to LaWhore for a "conference". Though seemingly private initiatives, they often involve some government involvement. It's more of an exercise to gauge the mood on the other side. Of course often Track thoo waalahs start thinking themselves as being the sole arbiters of inter-state relations and than then they are gently or not-so-gently bitch-slapped into behaving themselves.

Track 1.5, if I were to hazard a guess would be meetings involving intermediaries from one side but not the other. For instance, it would be naive to assume that Trump Jr.'s visit to India was purely business. He could well be carrying a message from the Da!

Track 1.5 could also refer to meetings between key officials frm the two states, but not the political leadership themselves. An example would be Doval-Januja meetings in Bangkok.

 

[mayfair]

Too add to the above, Track II can often go beyond regular meetings and formally publish their "proceedings" that often take the shape of "informal proposals". This usually happens when there's a conference hosted by a 'think-tank" type entity such as The Atlantic council. These are also helpful in gauging the public mood on either side and get a feel of how folks may react. But since, the proceedings are often obscurely published and tediously worded, almost entirely in English, they are targetted at a limit audience. Mostly, they are aimed at their true handlers and sponsors

At the end of such chai-biskoot sessions, they come out with suggestions "urging the two sides to engage for peace" and offer "suggestions" on how to go about it.

The motivations are many and range from purely academic and simplistic to the point of being naive to something far more insidious. The Atlantic council gatherings firmly fall in the latter camp.

At the end of it, the